Beavers, Cubs, Scouts & Explorers

Beavers: 6 – 8 years old

Meets Tuesday evenings in the Church Hall from 6pm to 7.15pm

What are Beavers Scouts?

Beaver Scouts belong to the first and youngest Section in the Scouting family. Young people can join Beaver Scouts in the three months leading up to their sixth birthday. They can move to the next Section, Cub Scouts, between seven years and six months and eight years six months.

Easily recognised by their distinctive turquoise sweatshirts, Beaver Scouts enjoy making friends, playing games, going on visits and helping others. They usually meet together once a week in a Beaver Scout Colony.

Some Beaver Scout Colonies also organise Sleepovers. These are often the first time a young person spends a night away from home. They take place in suitable buildings, often Scout centres.

Scouts: 10 – 14 years old

Meets Wednesday evenings in the church hall from 7pm – 9pm

What is Scouting?

Scout Section is for young people, usually aged between 10½ and 14 years. A young person can come in to the Troop aged 10 and may stay until they are 15 years old. The Scout Troop is the third and final Section in the Scout Group.

Scouts are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities as part of their programme. “Participation” rather than meeting set standards is the key approach and for the Scout who wants to be recognised for his or her achievements there are a number of Challenges Awards and Activity Badges.

Scouts take part in a balanced programme that helps them to find out about the world in which they live, encourages them to know their own abilities and the mportance of keeping fit and helps develop their creative talents. It also provides opportunities to explore their own values and personal attitudes.

Being outdoors is important and half the Programme is given over to taking part in both the traditional Scouting skills, such as camping, survival and cooking as well as the wide range of adventurous activities, anything from abseiling to yachting. The international aspect gives Scouting a special appeal and many Scouts now travel abroad during their time in the Section.

In 2007 40,000 Scouts from around the World attended the World Jamboree in the UK, and Scouts regularly participate in International camps and experiences both on home soil and abroad, each of them a unique experience in its own right. Scouting is about being with friends, as part of a team, participating fully in the adventure and opportunities of life.

ex-cs-posMeets Wednesday evenings for young people from 14 – 18 years in St Barnabas Church Hall from 7pm – 9 pm.

Explorer Scouts: 14 – 18 years old

Meets Wednesday evenings in St Barnabas Church Hall from 7pm – 9pm.

They make up the fourth Section of the Scouting family. There are many types of Explorer Scout Units, some may be linked to your local Scout Group, others may be based around different activities.

Not all Units meet each week, because you will often be out and about at weekends or in the holidays doing activities. There will be times when you will be busy doing other things such as exams, and being an Explorer Scout will have to fit around these.

As an Explorer Scout, you will get the chance to work with other Explorer Scouts in your District, not just your Unit. By doing this, you will get the chance to do many more actvities, not just the ones your Unit organises.

How did Explorer Scouting begin?

Scouting has always been a dynamic and forward-looking Movement. In the early days of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell saw the need to provide a programme for young people who wanted to continue after their time in the Scout Section. Senior Scouts was developed to meet this need, and the Section continued to evolve over the years.

In 1967, Venture Scouting was formed from the existing Senior Scout and Rover Scout Sections. During the late 1990s, it was decided that, in order to meet the changing needs of new generations, two new Sections should be created for young people over the age of fourteen. Explorer Scouts for 14 to 18-year-olds and the Scout Network for 18 to 25-year-olds were created.